Container carrier and package



July 18, 1967 o. J. POUPITCH CONTAINER CARRIER AND PACKAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1959 INVENTOR. OugZjesa JuZes pou oiich July 18, 1967 o. J. POUPlTCH 3,331,500

CONTAINER CARRIER AND PACKAGE Filed July 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 7 Fig. 5

IN V EN TOR.

July 18, 1967 o. J. POUPITCH CONTAINER CARRIER AND PACKAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 17, 1959 INVENTOR. OugZ/esa Ju Z85 Poupz'ich United States Patent 3,331,500 CONTAINER CARRIER AND PACKAGE Ougljesa Jules Poupitch, Itasca, llL, assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 17, 1959, Se!- No. 827,747 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates generally to a package or article carrier and, more particularly to a receptacle or package device for holding and carrying containers, for example cans.

It is now common commercial practice to package beverages, such as beer and soda pop, in cans. It has also been a long-time practice to package many foodstuffs in cans. Further, it is now becoming a common practice to package articles of almost every shape and character in containers, either for the purposes of unitizing and for ease of handling or for corrosion resistance considerations. While this invention relates to and has application for containers of almost all configurations and sizes, it will be described in connection with beverage cans, such as beer and soda pop cans.

In most instances, a plurality of such beverage cans, conveniently six in number, is supplied in a receptacle or carrier for home consumption. A plurality of units of six cans generally is shipped in a large carton and this carton is broken open at the retail outlet for sale of the units to the ultimate consumer.

The common older practice relative to beverage can carriers has been of two general types, the type of packaging unit where paper or pasteboard packages are surroundingly disposed to a group of cans, or the other type which utilizes metallic clips which engage the rim portions of adjacent cans.

Paper or pasteboard packaging devices which have been sufficiently strong to be accepted commercially, have been found to be unduly bulky and expensive and to require rather complicated packaging machinery. Such paper packaging devices substantially completely encase a plurality of cans, thus insulating the cans, and requiring that they be removed from the paper packaging device for efiicient refrigeration. Further, the paper packaging devices do not stand up when disposed in high humidity areas or in cold water for cooling purposes. Another disability of such paper packaging devices is the difficulty in opening the packaging device to remove the individual beverage cans.

On the other hand, metallic connectors or clips have not found full commercial acceptance due to the difliculty of applying the clips to the cans in automatic machinery with sufiicient permanence so that the cans will not become readily detached from one another. Furthermore, in some prior art one-piece metallic connectors of the bead engaging type which have been sufficiently strong to hold units of cans firmly together, the clips have held the discrete cans in a rigid relationship. That is, all of the six (or other number) cans in a unit have been more or less rigidly interconnected. When a carton of such rigid units, six being a common number, is dropped, the tendency is for each rigid unit to direct all of the impact simultaneously in one direction. This causes a substantial impact on the carton, tending to burst the carton. An analogy may be to a solid ball and a mass of loosely retained shot; For equal masses, the ball when dropped, would create a given shock impact, while the loosely retained shot would dampen the shock substantially below said shock impact.

In my recently issued Patent 2,874,835, I have shown a number of means for resiliently interconnecting and carrying a group of cans by means of an apertured sheet of plastic stretched over a plurality of cans so as resiliently to grip the cans beneath the upper beads. My aforedescribed patent device does an exemplary job of providing a carrier.

In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of this invention to provide a device for holding a plurality of containers together as a unit which simultaneously affords protection to at least the major portion of a peripheral bead of the individual containers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device as aforedescribed which protects the peripheral head against formation of nicks or burrs on the bead surfaces due to careless handling and which simultaneously insulates adjacent units of containers one from the other.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device which affords the foregoing functions while maintaining an elastic resilient interconnection between individual bead engaging protecting means, said interconnection absorbing and dampening impact shocks which may occur in handling a carton of units as well as in the handling of individual units.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a combination carrying means and 'sanitary cover which protects the major portion of the head of a container from contact with foreign objects.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a carrier of the above stated general characteristics which may be formed either with integral handle means for imparting portability or a quick detachable manually graspable handle which may be inserted at the retail outlet, or which may be formed with apertures of suitable configuration for easy manual grasping by the person desiring to carry a unit of beverage containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in at least one form of the invention, a can carrier which may be easily formed from strip material by a stamping operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide can carrier devices of the aforedescribed nature which afford a substantial planar area for manufacturers and retailers to dispose and display advertising matter upon.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of one embodiment of my novel container carrier and package;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric perspective view of the container carrier means disassociated from the containers;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along lines 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an isometric perspective view of a second embodiment of my novel container carrier and package means shown in a view similar to FIG. 1

FIG. 7a is an isometric perspective view of a quick insertable handle usable with the device shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 7;

FIG.- 9 is an enlarged isometric perspective view similar to FIG. 3 of the carrier means shown in FIG. 7 disassociated from the individual containers;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along lines 1010 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along lines 1111 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along lines 1212 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is an isometric perspective view of a modified form of my container carrier and package device;

FIG. 13a is a plan View of a handle adapted to be associated with the device shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 13b is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 13b-13b of FIG. 13a;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along lines 14 14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 14a is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 14 showing the bead engaging means in detached relation, relative to the bead.

FIG. 15 is an isometric perspective view of still another modified form of my invention;

FIG. 15a is a perspective view of a handle adapted to be utilized with the devices shown in FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 16 is an isometric perspective view of still another form of my invention;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along lines 1717 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17a is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 17 showing the bead engaging means in detached relation;

FIG. 18 is an isometric perspective view of stamped sheet stock which has been pre-formed and which will provide the construction shown in FIG. 16, as well as provide a six pack unit as shown in dotted lines in the upper right-hand portion of FIG. 18;

FIG. 19 is an isometric perspective view of another container carrier means similarin many respects to the device shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view along lines 2020 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 20a is a fragmentary sectional view of the bead engaging means of FIGS. 19 and 20, shown in a detached relation.

'Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings, a plurality of container means 30, here shown as conventional beer or soda pop cans, is each formed with a generally cylindrical outer wall'31and opposed end portion walls 32. At the juncture of the side wall 31 and the end walls 32, a conventional bead 33 is formed, said bead having a bottom portion 34, a radially outward portion 35, a top portion 36 and a radially inwardly directed portion 37. While I have chosen to depict the inventive concepts with cylindrical container means 30', it is to be expressly noted that the inventive concepts apply with equal facility to containers of other and different configurations. V

A receptacle in the form of a cover means 39 is adapted to fit over and snugly engage the individual containers 30. More particularly, the cover means 39 is formed with a plurality of separate, though interconnected, bead engaging means 49 which have substantially the same dimensions and a complementary conforming configuration to that of the bead 33 of the individual containers 30. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 4, the individual bead engaging means 40 are formed with complementary sur faces for engaging the bead 33, there being a first portion 41 which comprises the inwardly directed surface of a thickened depending lip for engaging bottom portion 34 of the bead, a second surface comprising a substantially vertical side portion 42 for engaging the radially outward side of the bead 35, a third portion 43 complementary to and engageable with top portion 36 of the bead, and a fourth portion 44 which is adapted to engage portion 37 of the head.

The lowermost depending outer end of the bead engaging means is formed with an inwardly directed surface 45, perhaps best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, which assists in initial assembly as will become apparent. It should be noted that the cross-sectional views relating to thickness of materials are considerably enlarged for purposes of clarity. Further, in some types of materials, the

thickened lower lip portion which defines surface 41 is not necessary where the strength of materials employed will afford a uniform cross-section in this area.

The individual bead engaging means 40 are aided in snug engagement of the bead by a substantially planar integral base portion 46 which adjoins the inner portion 44 of the bead engaging means. It should be noted that it is important that the walls defining portion 44 of the bead engaging means engage as much of the radially inner wall portion 37 of the head 33 as is practical with due regard to manufacturing tolerances. To this end, portion 44 may be formed, in its initial or undeformed state, with a slight bow or convex shape in cross-section so that upon assembly to the head 33 the juncture of portions 44 and 46 is forced into engagement with the corner defined by the container portions 32 and 37, whereupon portion 46 will become bowed and provide a constant bias to provide snug engagement of portion 44 with the head portion 37.

As best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, the individual bead engaging means 40 does not have a common wall or web therebetween on the inner side and surface portions 41, 42 and 45. These wall portions terminate at 47 just slightly short of either side of the midpoint created by running a line through the centers of adjacent bead engaging means. Thus, the bead portions 35 of adjacent containers are in contact to thereby reduce the over-all dimensions of the package.

The cover means 39 may be formed with an integral, substantially planar base or cap 46 which is integral with the walls defining surface 44 of the bead engaging means 40 as aforedescribed. The planar wall 46 may be offset from the bead engaging surface 43 by a dimension sufficient to cause it to engage the top of the container means 32 if desired. In some forms of the invention, it may be desired to keep planar surface 46 spaced a considerable distance from the top of the can, or to allow a slight bowing to stress the side walls defining surface 44 to force the latter into positive engagement with surface 37 of the bead. The base portion 46 is well adapted to providing an area for advertising the products in the package. This may be done by any of a number of conventional means, either in initial manufacture or as a subsequent operation.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5,-the adjacent individual bead engaging means 40 are interconnected at their tops at contacting or tangent portions as shown at 48 (the adjacent side walls being joined at points 47) and by strut members 49. The connections at the tops 48 and the outer side walls 50 serve to maintain a unitizing of the group of individual containers as do the web or strut interconnecting means 49 which are disposed near the bottom of the cover means 39 and which are made integral with the outer walls 50. More or less central apertures 51 (as shown in FIG. 3) may be formed in the original stamping or molding operation of forming the cover means 39. Also, the cover means is adapted to be either formed with an integral web that completely closes apertures 51 (not shown) or left partially open as suitable and desired depending on the method of transporting to be employed. It a web is formed, a convenient smaller aperture may also be formed therein to utilize a handle 64 having flexible barbs 65 such as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. Various other handles may. be used, for example, a handle 53 of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which comprises a rectangular wire member which may be preassembled or assembled by the retailer as desired. Further,

the handle shown in FIG. 15a may be used and inserted in apertures 52 defined by the strut-like interconnecting means 49 and the adjacent outer walls 50 of the bead engaging means 40 and may be placeddiagonally across the two center cans of the six pack. It is also within the contemplation of the invention that with the cover means 39 shown, that the apertures 51 may be formed with generally relatively large circular apertures (not shown) to alford a bowling ball type of grip for readily carrying a plurality of containers as a unit. It is also apparent that the apertures 51 in the form shown may be used for this purpose.

The cover means 39 is preferably formed of a plastic material which is resilient, flexible, and elastic, and which will not readily tear. Polyethylene and polystyrene are preferred examples, but any other functionally similar material will serve equally well. In operation, the cover means 39 may be formed in elongated strips rolled on a reel or may be handled individually and are adapted to be inserted over units of cans by conventional food packaging machinery. When the individual bead engaging means 40 are inserted over the beads 33, the inherent elasticity of the material allows deformation of the lower cammed rim 45 and portion 41 so that it may be forced over the bead 33. When the bead engaging portion 43 comes into engagement with the top portion 36 of the head, portion 41 will return radially inwardly to snugly engage and underlie the bottom portion 34 of the bead, resisting unauthorized separation of the container means from the cover. It will be noted that in the final assembly portions 41, 42, 43 and 44 respectively overlie and intimately engage portions 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the bead. To remove the individual containers 30 from the bead engaging means 40, the individual containers may be grasped and twistingly pulled against the areas of the adjacent cans where the lower portion of the bead engaging means is interrupted. Due to the leverage that may be imparted by grasping the lower portion of the individual containers 30, they may be readily forcibly detached from the unit for serving purposes.

When the cover means 39 is disposed upon the containers, it protects the individual beads 33 from nicks and burrs that might be formed by rough handling of the unit. Further, the individual units (discrete six packs) are protected one from the other in both up and down relationship and in a side to side relationship by virtue of the top and outer side portions of the cover means 39. The top planar portion of the cover means serves as a dust cover and prevents contact with foreign objects thus keeping the bead surface more sanitary. It should be remembered that from the very nature of the manufacture and packaging of both the cans and the covers and the application of the latter to the cans all done by automatic machinery, the entire package is inherently susceptible to being kept sanitary to prevent a hazard to the user who imbibes directly from the beverage container 30.

Another important function results from the inherent elasticity of the material employed as it relates to the interconnecting means which unitizes the bead engaging means as at 48, 50 and 49. More particularly, the resilient interconnecting means serve to absorb and dampen impact shocks both by causing a separation of units into individual though connected units, and by virtue of the characteristics of resilient materials per se. This is important because in ordinary handling of the units when they are packaged in, for example, a case lot containing eight discrete units of six packs or the like, it is very usual that the cases will be subjected to dropping distances of three to five feet. Without the resilient interconnection, it has been found, particularly where rigid covers or clips have been used, that a drop of three to five feet will often cause a case to burst due to the impact shock.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that the bead engaging means 40 need not extend completely around the circumference of the individual beads. Such an embodiment of the invention is shown and illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 12. In these figures corresponding parts are identified by the use of similar numerals with the addition of the suflix a. It would serve no useful purpose to reiterate identical structure and thus the diiierences will be discussed. More particularly, the retainer or cover means 38:: is formed or blanked out of strip material, the flat planar surface 46 of the covers of the earlier described embodiment being removed for cost purposes. The bead engaging means 40a extends less than the full distance around the periphery of the individual beads but covering more than 50% of the circumferential bead 330. In order to insure a substantial retentive grasp between adjacent containers 30, the bead engaging means extends around the periphery of the individual bead so that the major dimension of the bead 33a (the diameter) is within the confines encompassed by the bead engaging means 40a. At the discrete ends 56 and 57 of the individual bead engaging means, an interconnecting chord member or strengthening web strut 58 prevents sideways or radially outwardly displacement of the ends 56 and 57 so as to assure snug engagement of the bead engaging means with the individual beads. The apertures 51a betweeen the individual bead engaging means may be the same as those shown in the first embodiment or modified as above discussed, and any of the handle means above discussed may also be applied to cover means 39a with equal facility.

It will be noted that the cover means 39a of FIGS. 7-12 utilizes substantially less raw material stock and thus is cheaper to manufacture. While it does not provide the dust cover function of the first embodiment, it does retain the characteristic of protecting the major portion of the head from possible nicks and burrs that may be formed by handling so that a major portion of the individual container bead 33a is available for direct imbibing by the user.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that individual container units of three may be discretely packed and to that end another form of cover means 3% is shown in FIGS. l314. In these figures corresponding parts are identified by the use of similar numerals with the addition of the suffix b. More particularly, the containers 30b are arranged in a triangular relation and if desired may be packaged with both top and bottom cover means 39b. The cover 3% has a substantially planar top surface 4612 which is formed flush with surface 43b of the bead engaging means as best shown in FIGS. 14 and 14a. A detachable tear strip 62 is molded integral with the bottom lip portion 45 and preferably is connected thereto by an area which is pre-weakened in any suitable manner such as perforations at 61 to provide easy removal of the tear strip 60 when extending end portion 62 is gripped and pulled back in proper manner. The extra bearing surface provided by strip (51 compensates for the lack of directly engaging inner portion 37b of the head by the cover means 3%.

A central aperture 63 may be formed in the top of the cover 391) for insertion of a handle means 641) of, for example, the type shown in FIG. 13a. The handle 64b may be conviently formed of plastic material generally D shaped in cross-section and arranged as shown in a closed circular loop, the end portions thereof being formed with flexible barbs 65b which will compress for entry into aperture 6-3 yet will return to original shape to resist regressive movement of the handle 64. In assembly, the cover means is forced over the arranged containers, the resiliency of the material affording deformation and return of the cover means to the shape shown.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 15 is substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 14 except that the cans are disposed in aligned or parallel relationship and a cover 39!) is formed to that end. A pair of apertures 67 and 68 is oppositely disposed and formed in the planar surface 46b of cover 39b a shown to acccomrnodate a wire handle 69 having offset ends 70 and 71 which will be disposed diagonally across the center can and the ends of which are insertable under the top portion 46b of the cover between the adjacent cans. The ends 70-71 are angularly disposed inwardly, or stated another way, the ends are parallel to each other while the main portion of the handle crosses the center can.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 16 through 18. In these figures, corresponding parts are identified by the use of similar numerals with the addition of the sufi'ix c. More particularly, the cover 39c in its assembled form is similar to that shown in FIG. 15, however, in this form of the invention the top cover is centrally split along its longitudinal length except by a web portion at the end thereof (not shown in FIG. 16, but as shown in FIG. 18) and does not have a tear strip 61. The cover 390 may be conveniently formed by a combination stamping and semi-molding process from long straight sheetstock, and as shown in FIG. 18, the formed covers have oppositely disposed straight edges 74 and 75. A plurality of semi-circles 73 with depending lips which are complementary to the bead, form the bead engaging means 460; the cover means 390 may be formed in the elongated strip stock as shown by placing the semicircles 73 in back to back relationship, the straight edges 74 and 75 being swung around into engagement one with the other to form closed circles which are then held in place by suitable pressure sensitive adhesive tape 30. In the strip form shown in FIG. 18, the semi-circles are connected in horizontal relationship by cross webs 76. At the end of every three individual discrete semi-circles 73, a connecting end web 77 may be formed which will allow, when the central cross Webs 76 are severed, the two individual halves of three semi-circles 73 to be placed together in the abutting relationship shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 to be 'held by the tape 8%. On the other hand, when it is desired to package, for example, six units, a generally T-shaped cutter tool such as shown semi-diagrammatically in dotted lines below the strip in FIG. 18 may be applied to the strip so as to sever two 'of the end webs 77 and three of the center webs 76 While leaving three connected center webs 76 and two of the end webs 77. Then the two opposed split units of three semicircles may be each swung 180 on the remaining end webs 77 to form a six pack cover as is shown in the dotted line relation in the right-hand portion of FIG. 18. Two strips of tape 8i) may then be applied to the centers to hold the covers in place.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13-14 except that the cover 39d is adapted to engage and retain six units. In these figures, corresponding parts are identified by use of similar numbers with the addition of the suffix d. It will be noted that the primary distinction lies in forming the cover 39d with opposed back to back bead engaging means 49d and 40d (see FIG. 20a). The tear strips 60d and 60d are made as 'shown or can be made to tear in opposite directions. A relatively thin U shaped integral handle 99 may be molded to or formed on the outer central peripheral portion 91 the ends being attached at spaced points. Due to the resiliency of the material, the handle 90 may be readily re-aligned (as shown in dotted lines FIG. 20) by the user to conveniently carry a unit of six containers d. It is preferable that the handle be formed so that it is normally disposed adjacent the cans for stack ing and packaging purposes as shown in FIG. 19.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is with full awareness that many mod iications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A packaging device adapted to afford protection to a major portion of the peripheral beads of a plurality of containers each having a head and an axially and radially extending circumferential bead having a top, bottom, inner side and outer side portion projecting from said head, said head defining a closed figure having a major dimension, comprising cover means characterized by a plurality of separate and interconnected bead engaging means respectively including top, bottom, inner side and outer side portions adapted to intimately overlie and securely engage at least a portion of said top, bottom, inner side and outer side portions of each individual circumferential bead so as to include said major portion of each head within the confines of said head engaging means to prevent unauthorized separation of the individual containers, first connecting means for said inner side portions of each individual bead engaging means engaging spaced portions thereof so that at least a portion of the connecting means is located in a plane intermediate a pair of parallel planes in space established by passing through spaced portions of said top portions and bottom portions respectively of said bead engaging means and above a container head when the device is assembled with the container, and means associated with said cover means adapted to be manually engaged to provide portability to the plurality of containers as a unit.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the bead engaging means is peripherally continuous and forms a closed figure for engagement with,

the said circumferential bead.

3. The device set forth in claim 2 wherein the first connecting means of said individual bead engaging means forms a cup-like cover means for totally encasing one 7 end wall of each individual container means.

4. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the bead engaging means extends less than the full circumferential dimension around said container to define end portions of said bead engaging means, said first connecting means interconnecting the end portions of each individual bead engaging means.

5. The device set forth in claim 4 wherein said cover means is of relatively open construction, the individual bead engaging means and first connection means interconnecting the end portions of each individual bead engaging means defining relatively large apertures adjacent the top portion of individual container means.

6. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein each individual bead engaging means is resiliently interconnected to adjacent bead engaging means by a second spaced connecting means, said second spaced connecting means 7 and bead engaging means defining apertures therebetween and comprising an integral web portion adjoining said outer side portions of individual adjacent bend engaging means and being horizontally and vetrically spaced from said first connecting means and integrally connecting said outer side portions of said individual bead engaging means.

7. A package comprising in combination a plurality of container means each of which includes a head and an axially and radially extending circumferential bead projecting from said head and having a bottom, radially outwardly side portion, top and radially inwardly side portion all in offset relation and located at one end of the individual container means, said bead defining a closed circular figure having a diameter, and cover means characterized by being formed of a resilient deformable elastic plastic material and configured in a manner to aiford protection to a major portion of the individual peripheral beads of said plurality of containers, said cover means being further characterized by having a plurality of spaced separate and interconnected bead engaging means each of which is curvilinear and formed with a first, second, third and fourth portion, said first, second, third and fourth portions being in angularly offset relation and adapted to be temporarily deformed and installed over at least a portion of the said bottom, radially outwardly side, top

and radially inwardly side portions of each individual circumferential bead respectively to snugly and gripping- 1y engage the same and including said diameter within the confines of said head engaging means on each respective container means to prevent unauthorized separation of the individual containers, means above the container head connecting spaced portions of said fourth portion, horizontally offset from said first and third portions and located within the closed circular figure defined by said bead, and means associated with said cover means adapted to be manually engaged to provide portability to the cover means and said plurality of con tainers as a unit.

8. A protective package of a plurality of closed and sealed cans comprising a bundle of such cans each having a closed transverse top end wall and an axially and radially extending circumferential top bead having a top, bottom, and radially outwardly extending side portions; and a common cover and carrier protectively overlying the closed top ends of said cans, said cover carrier consisting of a can securing, one-piece, shaped member of elastic plastic material having formed therein a plurality of separated cupped circular pockets secured together by an integral web, each pocket securing the top end of a can in socketed relation, each of said pockets having a transverse top wall completely overlying the top wall of its socketed can and an integral depending, substantially circular side wall, said sidewall having a substantially continuous locking portion having an inner diameter less than the greatest diameter of said can bead, said locking portion being snapped down over said bead and extending beneath the bottom thereof, whereby each can end is secured in each pocket, means associated with the web for manually carrying the package.

9. A resilient plastic packaging device adapted to connect a plurality of generally upstanding cylindrical containers having radially extending circumferential beads at upper ends thereof, comprising a plurality of generally arcuate bead engaging elements respectively extending substantially horizontally in excess of a semicircle and presenting generally upwardly facing surfaces engageable beneath can beads, each of said arcuate elements having portions adjacent to and inter-connected with corresponding portions of two adjacent arcuate elements, each of said arcnate elements extending for less than a complete circle and presenting opposite ends, and generally chordally extending sections connecting said opposite ends of said arcuate elements above said surfaces for overlying upper ends of said containers and retaining said ends of said elements against spreading when said device is assembled with the containers.

10. A packaging device adapted to connect a plurality of generally upstanding cylindrical containers having radially extending circumferential beads at upper ends thereof and disposed in two rows in side by side relationship, comprising two rows of a plurality of arcuate bead engaging elements respectively extending substantially horizontally in excess of a semicircle and presenting generally upwardly facing surfaces engageable beneath the can beads, each of said arcuate elements having portions adjacent to and inter-connected with corresponding portions of two adjacent arcuate elements one of which is "in the same row and the other of which is in the other row, said elements defining opening means therebetween for facilitating manual lifting of said device, each of said arcuate elements extending for less than a complete circle and presenting opposite ends, and generally chordally extending sections connecting said opposite ends of said arcuate elements above said surfaces for overlying upper ends of said containers and retaining said ends of said elements against spreading when the device is assembled with the containers.

11. A protective package of a plurality of closed and sealed cans comprising a bundle of such cans each having a closed transverse top end wall and an axially and radially extending circumferential top bead having a top, bottom and radially outwardly extending side portions; and a common cover and carrier protectively overlying the closed top ends of said cans, said cover carrier comprising of a can securing one-piece, shaped member of plastic material having formed therein a plurality of separated pockets secured together by an integral web, each pocket securing the top end of a can in socketed relation, each of said pockets having a transverse top wall completely overlying the top wall of its socketed can and an integral depending substantially continuous sidewall means, said sidewall having a locking portion of substantial peripheral extent having an inner diameter less than the greatest diameter of said can head, said locking portion being snapped down over said bead and extending beneath the bottom thereof, whereby each can end is secured in each pocket, means associated with the web for manually carrying the package.

12. A multi-can package comprising: a pair of parallel rows of upright, cylindrical cans having heads and radially and axially outwardly projecting chimes at one of their corresponding ends providing oppositely directed axially facing surfaces on said chimes, resilient plastic means for securing said cans together including an elongated member having a pair of horizontally disposed marginal portions positioned over and against the axially facing surfaces of said chimes that face outwardly of said corresponding ends, can engaging means integral with said marginal portions connected therewith and extending in engagement with the axially facing surfaces of said chimes that are opposite said last mentioned axially facing surfaces, spring elements respectively positioned over each of said corresponding ends integrally connected with said marginal portions for springing past said axially facing surfaces that face outwardly of said corresponding ends, said elements extending angularly from said marginal portions toward said can engaging means and into impinging engagement with said heads and with the radially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes when sprung past said last mentioned axially facing surfaces for holding said corresponding ends of said cans together and for holding said can engaging means in positive engagement with said sides of said cans and said chimes, said elements and said can engaging means defining a restriction throat through which said chimes must be snapped upon removal of the cans from the package.

13. A multi-can package comprising: a pair of parallel rows of upright, cylindrical cans having heads and radially and axially outwardly projecting chimes at one of their corresponding ends providing oppositely directed axially facing surfaces on said chimes, plastic means for securing said cans together including an elongated member having a pair of horizontally disposed marginal portions positioned over and against the axially facing surfaces of said chimes that face outwardly of said corresponding ends, can engaging means integral with said marginal portions connected therewith and extending in engagement with the axially facing surfaces of said chimes that are opposite said last mentioned axially facing surfaces, spring elements respectively positioned over each of said corresponding ends integrally connected with said marginal portions for springing past said axially facing surfaces that face outwardly of said corresponding ends, said elements extending angularly from said marginal portions toward each other from opposite sides of said can engaging means and into engagement with said heads and with the radially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes when sprung past said last mentioned axially facing surfaces for holding said corresponding ends of said cans together and for holding said can engaging means in engagement with said sides of said cans and said chimes, said elements terminating in free edges directed toward and in engagement with said radially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes, said free edges and said can engaging means defining a restriction through which said chimes must be snapped upon removal of the cans from the package.

14. A can connecting element adapted to secure together the cans of a pair of parallel rows of cans in side by side relation, and which cans are of the type having radially and axially projecting chimes at one of their corresponding ends, comprising: an elongated strip of relatively resilient plastic material having a pair of marginal portions adapted to bepositioned on the axially outwardly facing surfaces of the chimes on said cans, can engaging shoulder means integrally connected with said marginal portions for extending in engagement with the other axially facing surfaces of said chimes that are directed oppositely to said axially outwardly facing surfaces when said connecting element is applied to the cans, a plurality of pairs of spring elements integral with said marginal portions with the elements of each pair spaced at opposite sides of said can engaging shoulder means and extending toward each other and angularly from said marginal portions toward said can engaging shoulder means, said pairs of elements terminating in free edges facing and adjacent to said can engaging shoulder means and adapted to engage the radially inwardly facing surfaces of the chimes on the adjacent cans in said rows when said can engaging means engages the said other axially facing surfaces, said free edges and said can engaging shoulder means defining a restriction through which said chimes must be snapped upon removal of the cans from said connecting element.

15. A can connecting element adapted to be releasably connected with the annular chimes on one of the corresponding ends of a pair of cans disposed in side by side relation comprising: a member of resilient plastic mate rial having similarly extending marginal portions spaced apart and adapted to extend over and in engagement with one of the axially facing surfaces of such chimes, shoulder means integral with said member between said marginal portions and disposed at one side thereof and adapted to engage the opposite axially facing surfaces of said chimes opposite to said one of the axially facing surfaces thereof when said marginal portions are on said last mentioned surfaces, and spring elements integral with said marginal portions adapted to yieldably move to positions engaging the radially inwardly facing sides of such chimes when said means are in engagement with said opposite axially facing surfaces of said chimes, said elements having arcuately extending free terminating edges adapted to substantially conform in curvature to the curvature of said radially inwardly facing sides of said chimes and to engage said sides when said spring elements are in said last mentioned positions, said free terminating edges and said shoulder means being adapted to engage the opposite axially facing surface of said chimes defining a restriction through which the chimes must be snapped upon removal of the cans from the connecting element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,038,990 4/ 1936 Barr.

2,052,475 8/1936 Jones.

2,295,540 9/ 1942 Begg 220-54 2,326,414 8/ 1943 7 Thompson 220-97 2,731,999 1/ 1956 Burns.

2,754,962 7/ 1956 Serymgeour 206- 2,833,324 5/1958 Burroughs 215-41 2,837,236 6/ 1958 Betner 220-54 2,892,540 6/1959 Tupper 206-65 2,949,204 8/ 1960 Edwards 215-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 206,793 3/ 1957 Australia.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, EARL I. DRUMMOND,

Examiners.

M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGING DEVICE ADAPTED TO AFFORD PROTECTION TO A MAJOR PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL BEADS OF A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS EACH HAVING A HEAD AND AN AXIALLY AND RADIALLY EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEAD HAVING A TOP, BOTTOM, INNER SIDE AND OUTER SIDE PORTION PROJECTING FROM SAID HEAD, SAID BEAD DEFINING A CLOSED FIGURE HAVING A MAJOR DIMENSION, COMPRISING COVER MEANS CHARACTERIZED BY A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE AND INTERCONNECTED BEAD ENGAGING MEANS RESPECTIVELY INCLUDING TOP, BOTTOM, INNER SIDE AND OUTER SIDE PORTIONS ADAPTED TO INTIMATELY OVERLIE AND SECURELY ENGAGE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID TOP, BOTTOM, INNER SIDE AND OUTER SIDE PORTIONS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEAD SO AS TO INCLUDE SAID MAJOR PORTION OF EACH BEAD WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID BEAD ENGAGING MEANS TO PREVENT 